Recovery of cellular immune competence during treatment of protein-calorie malnutrition.
Fifty Bangladeshi children with severe protein-calorie malnutrition were randomly allocated at admission to four groups and sensitized to dinitrochlorobenzene either immediately or after 1, 2, or 3 wk of protein-calorie replacement therapy. Ability to initiate cutaneous hypersensitivity to dinitrochlorobenzene on admission was impaired when the total serum proteins was less than 5.5 g/dl, but uniformly recovered after 1 wk of feeding. Three severely malnourished children with total serum proteins less than 4.5 g/dl in whom sensitization was attempted before refeeding failed to respond despite repeated challenge, suggesting immunological tolerance to dinitrochlorobenzene. The data support the concept of a threshold serum protein level, at least as an indicator, below which cellular immunity may be temporarily, or even permanently, impaired.
D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity; D007121:Immunocompetence; D007223:Infant; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology
D001798:Blood Proteins; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene